On July 24th a fuels truck was returning to the district office after working in the field for the day. The fuels truck was almost brand new, with roughly 3,000 miles on it, and this was the first time the vehicle had been driven on unpaved roads. While the fuels truck was driving uphill on a dirt road, the driver heard a loud hiss coming from the rear of the vehicle. The driver immediately stopped the vehicle, applied the parking break, and inspected the vehicle. Upon further investigation, it was found that the inside rear dual tire on the passenger side was melted, to the point where a hole had formed and air was rapidly escaping. Fearing that the weakened, melted tire could potentially blow out, the driver and passenger kept a safe distance from the damaged tire, and placed a radio call to back to the district office notifying them of the issue.
Once the tire had depressurized, the driver and passenger investigated the problem and found that the rivets on the bump stop had failed, and it had fallen between the axle and the tire. The heat generated by the friction between the bump stop and the inside dual tire melted the rubber near the rim, and caused the tire to fail. This information was relayed to the District AFMO and Engine Captain, who drove out to the scene to help the crew. After a brief inspection and discussion, they decided to drive back to the district. Upon returning to the district, the tire was replaced and the bump stop was bolted back to the frame. |
